1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an interface apparatus and process using menus, and more particularly, to an apparatus and process for controlling the position of an indicator on the screen of a video display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Different circuits and processes enabling a user to interface with an appliance by using menus has been widely used for information processing devices such as computers and television receivers. In these interface methods, the requirement of a user is received through menus displayed on a screen, and a desired item is selected by moving an indicator such as a pointer. The indicator is usually a typical pointer, and a work or task bar which is inverted or highlighted. The pointer is operated by a trackball or a joy stick installed on a remote controller, and the bar is operated by a channel up and down key or a volume up and down key installed on a controller or a panel.
For instance, in a television receiver having a small number of selectable channels, a particular channel is selected via one of ten keys or a channel up and down button of the remote controller, but in a digital television receiver having substantially more selection channels, programs of various channels are obtained through a program guide screen, and a specific channel for a particular program is selected through a pointer. Adjustment of display, time setting, and control of volume as well as channel selection can be interfaced through a menu.
In the interface method using menus, when a selected menu item has sub menus or adjustment items, corresponding sub menus are displayed on the screen. For instance, for the control of volume, sub menus for selecting left/right/center/surround speakers are displayed. When the left speaker is selected, a slide-bar displays an adjustment screen for adjusting the volume of the left speaker.
A user selects a desired sub menu item from the displayed sub menus or moves a pointer for changing the adjustment state.
However, in the conventional interface method, the sub menus are displayed but the pointer is located in a position in which main menu items are selected so that the pointer must be moved to an area where the sub menus are displayed. When the sub menus are displayed in a position far from the main menu, an excessive amount of time is wasted in moving the pointer, which causes inconvenience in interfacing with a user.
Also, in the conventional interface method, even if the position and the scale of the menu are changed, the position of the pointer is not changed so that the pointer must be moved by a user to an area where the changed menu is displayed. In the case of using a cursor controller such as trackball or a remote controller to operate a pointer, when the response is very slow, the amount of time taken to move the pointer is increased so that the interface method using menus may be regarded as being difficult.
An exemplar of the contemporary, Choi (U.S. Pat. No. 5,648,781, Method and Apparatus for Remotely Controlling Electrical Appliances Using a Trackball and Display, Jul. 15, 1997) discloses a remote control method and apparatus. The remote control for electrical appliances has a trackball used to select functions using control menus. The movement for the pointer is fully dependent upon a user's movement of the trackball. The initial location of the pointer is not limited to the menu area. The pointer can be anywhere on the display screen. When a user goes to a submenu and then reverts back to the main menu, the pointer does not follow the menu area. A user has to make extra steps in having to move the trackball to find the previous menu area.
Morito (U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,240, Remote Control Input Device, Sep. 5, 1995) discloses an input device comprised of a rotatable cylinder shape. The device is limited to a direction on one axis at a time. Free movement in all directions of a pointer device is not allowed.
Kayashina et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,488,427, Television System Including Television Set, and Accessory Devices Controlled by a Single Remote Control Device, Jan. 30, 1996) discloses a television system having method and apparatus for selecting preset or use determined devices. A remote control device is shown to have buttons to display and select an on screen menu. Menu items are selecting by selecting the corresponding buttons on the remote control. The item selected is shown on the display. A problem with Kayashima et al. '427 is that it requires too many buttons for rapidly and conveniently controlling a television.
Yamamoto (U.S. Pat. 5,457,446, Control Bus System with Plural Controllable Devices, Oct. 10, 1995) discloses a control bus system for a home entertainment system. The control bus further includes a display means for displaying the features to be executed by the control bus. A cursor is moved to display item to be selected. Yamamoto '446, requires extra movement to locate the area to be selected.
Buchner et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,532,753, Remote-Controlled On-Screen Audio/Video Receiver Control Apparatus, Jul. 2, 1996) discloses a remote controlled device that displays its options on a display screen. The pointer is controlled by apparatus like a trackball, joy stick or touch panel. The pointer is freely moving with the control screen. Buchner et al. '753 does not store the area location of a previous menu so when a user reverts to an old menu, the pointer is not situated in same area.
I have found that in devices such as a digital television having many selection and adjustment items which cannot be smoothly operated by direct operation of a key, the interface using menus is very important for marketing the devices, so that ensuring of quick response for selecting menus is very important.